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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. kick — in football
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. rush — hurry
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. fine — all right
  9. chip — to eat
  10. fine — high quality
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. game — wild animals
  18. roll — a cake
  19. chip — for betting
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. game — a match
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. kick — a thrill

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com